Skip indoors and head out back to the courtyard. There's a little play area with toys and a plastic house. Food is homely, milkshakes are more-ish and the coffee and baked goods are spot on.

This is one of our favourite hangouts in Elwood with its covered and heated outdoor courtyard, kids play area and great food (especially the banana bread and kid shakes). Then when you're done you can head off to the beach or playground just a stones throw away!

Nestled on a quiet shopping strip, Iron Henry could be one of the Melbourne café scene's best-kept secrets. With great coffee (specific shout out to their soy caps) and a decent food menu to boot (including kids menu), this delightful cafe is one of our favourite Murrumbeena discoveries.

Leroys has had a fresh make-over. Providing a great kids menu (all served on plastic, phew) and staff who are super accommodating of littlies and an outdoor oasis, they've really got the community sorted for playdates and catchups. Outside, they have a fully enclosed courtyard with a sandpit, chalkboard and some climbing equipment- perfect for lazy lunches if the weather is right. If you’ve got a messy eater, there are plenty of birds about waiting to nibble up some crumbs.

It's all happening out the back of this family-friendly cafe on Hampton Street. A whole undovercover outdoor area full of toys and a bouncy castle complete with inflatable slide. Enjoy your brunch or lunch with friends while the little ones play in the cubby, shoot some balls in the basketball hoop, play with toys and ride on the bikes and see-saw.

Choose to sit indoors or there's tables and chairs down one side the outdoors play area. It's a fantastic spot for a Mother's Group catch up!

This cafe Cafe is right on trend and ticks all the boxes for a kid-friendly eatery. Let's start with a play area - tick! A fully fenced outdoor play area with old school sea-saw, swing, sandpit and chalk board sits nestled under big trees while you look on from the paved courtyard that's decked out with coloured stools and wooden tables and bench seating.

The sprawling space has loads of room for a pram and would suit any mother's group catch-up.

Trains. Play. Trains. Repeat. If you've got a little train loving person in your family, you're going to adore this cafe and store in East Bentleigh.

Toot Toot Toys is much, much more than a toy/train shop though. Sure, you can purchase all sorts of Thomas the Tank Engine, Chuggington and train track here (including Thomas merch) but it's the cafe and play space that will have you coming back for more.

So you want to combine play, conversation, coffee and good food all in one go? With a cubbyhouse and courtyard full of toys, it's no wonder this place is the talk of the town.

Be sure to head out straight out the back with your Mother's group or friends as that's where toddler action is going on! From the unassuming frontage, Nature Boy opens out from a narrow cafe into a spacious area for diners.

Nature Boy serves up all day breakfast and there's lunch offerings, treats and they've got a dedicated kids menu. The coffee is on point and the latte art is something else!